Internal-combustion engine.



W. I. TWOMBLY. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPTQIZ, 1910.

1,618,532 Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTORI Willurdlrvmgwvombly.

W. I. TWOMBLY.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

WITNESSESI N INVENTOR.

ATEN oFFioE.

WILLARD IRVING TWOMBLY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO TWOMBIIY MUTORS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Patented Feb. 2?, 1912.

Original application filed February 18, 1910, Serial No. 544,546. Divided and this application filed September 12, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLARD IRVING TwoMBLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, 1n the city, county, and State of New'York, haye invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines wherein a pair of opposed piston cylinders are fixed in axial alinement to a crank case with a piston working in a pair of opposed cylinders, a crank shaft journaled in the crank case-transverselypf said cylinders extending between the cylinders and the piston connected to the crank shaft within the working portions thereof and the cylinders.

The invention relates more particularly to that class of engines known as the four cycle type, wherein an explosion of fuel mixture or combustible material takes place in each of the cylinders of the engine during two revolutions of the crank shaft.

The present application is a division of my application filed February 18, 1910, Serial No. 514,546, relating particularly to the construction, arrangement and location of the valves and their operating mechanism, including a readily removable cam shaft therefor, to control the supply of fuel or combustible material to the combustion chambers of the cylinders and the exhaust of the spent products of combustion therefrom.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved engine, partly in section, to illustrate the construction and arrangement of the valve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially midway through a pair of opposed valve chambers and piston cylinders; and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the crank case to illustrate the mounting of the crank and cam shafts therein.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different,

views of the drawings.

lVhile I have shown in my copending application above referred to an engine comprising. a crank case having three pairs of opposed cylinders fixed in alinement thereto, for the purpose of the present applica Serial No. 581,632.

tion I have deemed it sufficient to show only two pairs of opposed cylinders as it will be obvious that the operation of the engine will be substantially the same. should one pair, or a multiple of pairs of cylinders be utilized.

A rectangular or box-like frame or crank case 1 has a series of oppositely-disposed openings 2 in which engage sleeve port-ions of the piston cylinders 3, to be hereinafter described. The frame 1 is open at the top and provided with a releasable cover 4 secured by bolts 5, said cover being removable for the purpose of getting access to the operating portions of the engine inclosed by said frame.

The crank case is provided in the end walls 6, 7 with openings for the passage of a crank shaft 8, said shaft journaled in said openings by nreans of ball bearings 9 of usual construction and maintained therein in any suitable manner. The shaft 8 is also journaled by means of a ball bearing in a hearing or pillar block 10 constructed integral with the crank case, and retained therein by a cap 11 engaging over said bearing and secured by screws 11.

The piston cylinders 3 are secured to the crank case in opposed alined pairs, the said cylinders having sleeve portions 12 to engage in the openings 2 in the crank case and have a mating or lap-joint connection 13 therein, flanges 14 on said cylinders abutting against the side Walls of the frame and secured by bolts 15 passing through said flanges. The sleeve portions of the cylinders are provided with oppositely-disposed openings 16 for the passage ofthe crank shaft transversely of said cylinders, a second pair of openings 17, substantially at right angles to the openings 16 permitting the passage of the wrist pin of the crank shaft through its orbit of movement in the working'portions of the cylinders, which movement in the present instance is greater than the diameter of the cylinder.

The pistons are in the nature of double pistons; that is, they are so constructed as to operate in a pair of opposed cylinders and connected to the crank shaft within the working portions thereof. The said pistons comprise a pair of releasably connected heads 18, 19 having the usual packing rings and oil grooves. The head 18 is provided ciprocation of the pistons transversely to the axis of said shaft, and also prevents rotary motion of the pistons within the cylinders. The sleeve portion 20 is also provided with a second pair of openings 23, substantially at right angles to the slots 20, to percylinders.

mit of the passage of a roller bearing 24 on the wrist pin of the crank shaft within the pistons through its orbit of movement.

Adjustably secured within the sleeve portion 20 with the ends engaging in the openings 23 are a pair of. tracks 25 to engage at opposite sides of the wrist pin of the crank shaft, the backs of said tracks near their outer ends abutting against inwardly-projecting ears or lugs 26 on the sleeve portion 20. The tracks are secured to the piston heads by means of tubular members or sleeves 27 screw threaded into said heads and having a head portion 28 to abut against the back of the tracks and engage between the lugs 26 to prevent endwise sliding movement of the tracks the said heads 28 also engaging between a pair of flanges or ledges 29 on the backs of the tracks to prevent sidewise movement of the same. Passing through said tubular members 29 and screw threaded into the backs ofthe tracks are tie-rods or bolts 30 whichextend out beyond the piston heads, jamnuts 31 have a screw threaded engagement with said ends to drawand lock the tracks up against the piston sleeve lugs 26. The roller bearing 24 and the piston tracks 25 constitute the connection of the pistons to the crank shaft. the said bearing having a rolling and reciprocating movement between said tracks. The tracks may be provided with ledges or guides 32 between which the roller bearing travels, and which also tend to prevent r0- tary movement of the pistons within the The piston heads are provided with recesses 33 which recesses with the end walls of the cylinders form compression chambers.

Cast en bloc with and projecting up from the cylinders are combustion and ignition chambers communicating with the bores of the cylinders and provided with fuelintake chambers 34, said chambers having valve ports communicating with the cylinders containing valves 35 for controlling the admission of the fuel through a pipe or conduit 36. The combustion chambers 70 also have a valve port tocommunicate with eX- haust chambers 37 to which is connected an exhaust pipe or conduit 38 to lead off the spent products of combustion, said chambers 37 also containing valves 39 to control the passage of the spent gases from the combus-tion chambers 7 0 to the exhaust pipes 38.

In order that the valves 35, 39 and their operating mechanism may be readily removed, I provide removable plugs 40 in which the stems of the valves are slidably mounted, the said plugs being screw threaded into the fuelintake and exhaust chambers 34, 37. These plugs are constructed with tubular portions 41 to provide a long bearing for the valve stems. The valves are normally maintained upon their seats by means of springs 42 coiled around the valve stems and confined bet-ween recesses 43 in the plugs 40 and washers 4-4 held in place by keys or cotters 45, andareoperated by means of cams 46 fixed on a cam shaft 47. Screw threaded into the crank case are bushings 48 in which are slidably mounted be tween the cams and valves tappets or cam followers 49. one end ofrsaid tappets projecting into the crank case and having rollers 52 with which the cams 46 engage, the other end of the cam-followers projecting out from the crank case to engage with the stems of the valves. Tubular members 51, one end having a telescoping or sliding movement in the recesses 43 in the valvestem carrying plugs to expose or uncover the valve stems and springs to get access to the same, and the other end having a screw threaded engagement with the bushings 48, serve as dust-tight casings or coverings for the valve stems and springs.

The valve mechanism is placed in position through openings 53 in the combustion chambers 70 in which engage screw threaded plugs 54. The bushing 48 is first put in place and the cam follower 49 inserted therein, the plug 40, with the tube 51 and spring 42 is then screwed into the opening in the fuel or exhaust chamber and the stem of the valve passed through the opening in the plug and the valve pushed down upon its seat. The tube is now slipped back into the recess in the valve stem carrying plug exposing the end of the valve stem and the washer 44 slipped onto said stems and pushed back to partly compress the spring when it is secured in place by the key 45, and the plug 54 is screwed in place.

The fuel-intake and exhaust chambers in the combustion chambers 7 0 of the cylinders on one side of the crank shaft are slightly offset from the chambers of the opposed cylinders, but in a plane parallel with the axis'of the cylinders, to permit of the proper placing of the cams on the cam shaft. Spark plugs 57 are screw threaded into the top of the combustion chambers 70 in line with the fuel chamber, so that the sparking points of said plugs project into the path of the incoming fuel or combustible material, and thus assure a fresh charge of and drivenvby a gear 58 fixed on the crank shaft meshing with said gear 57, the ratio of 'said gearing being two to one, that is, two

revolutions of the crank shaft will impart one revolution to the cam shaft. It will be noted that the said gears 57 are exterior of the crank case proper, being inclosed in a chamber or compartment separate therefrom, but constructed integral with the crank case by extending the side walls thereof, as at 59, said chamber being open at the endv and provided with a removable plate 60 secured by bolts 61. This chamber also serves as a pump chamber, and is constructed with an oil well 62 into which a pump (not shown) may extend to mechanically oil the operative parts of the engine; an opening bet-ween the bottom of the end wall 7 and the bottom of the crank case permits the draining of the oil from "said crank case into the oil well. i

The engine is water'cooled, and for this purpose there is provided in the bottom of the crank case an inlet 63 to which is connected a pipe 64 leading from the source of supply, such as a cooler, (not shown). Branching out from said inlet and cast en bloc in the crank case are ducts 65 having outlets communicating with inlets, as at 66.

with water jackets or chambers 67 cast en bloc with the piston cylinders, said water chambers extending around the sides and ends of the cylinders and also around the fuel and exhaust chambers having outlets 68 in projecting portions 68 communicating with ports in ducts or conduits 69 extending along the top of the side walls of thecrank case, and having an outlet in the end thereof to which may be connected a pipe 69 leading back to the source of supply. The water may be causedto circulate through the ducts 65, the chambers 67 extending around the cylinders and fuel and exhaust chambers, and a suitable cooler or source of supply, by means of a pump or the thermo circulating system,

As a preface to a description of the operation of my improved engine, I will say that for the purpose of convenience and a clearer understanding of the description following, I have indicated the cylinders by a,

6,0, and d, respectively (Fig. 1). Assuming that an explosion has taken place in the cylinder 01 and a fuel mixture compressed in cylinder a, the piston being in the position indicated in Fig. 2. -As the fuel in the cylinder a is ignited and exploded the crank shaft is rotated approximately 180 degrees,

opened and the spent products of combustion exhausted from said cylinder, the valves in the combination chamber for the cylinder 6 will be closed and compression of fuel tak ing place therein, and the fuel-intake-valve will be opened in the cylinder 0 and a charge of fuel sucked into said cylinder. The next explosion takes place in the cylinder-b, compression of fuel in cylinder 0, sucking of fuel into cylinder cl, and cylinder a exhausting. An explosion now takes place in cylinder a, compression of fuel in cylinder d, sucking of fuel into cylinder a, and cylinder Z) exhausting. The next explosion takes place in cylinder d, compression of fuel in cylinder a, sucking of fuel into cylinder 1;, and the exhausting of the spent gases of combustion from cylinder 6-, when the cycle of operations will again be repeated.

The cams are preferably set progressively, so that each cylinder will be given a power strokein its turn. The crank portion of the shaft for two of the cylinders is set dia metrically opposite to the cranked portion for the other two cylinders, and by this arrangement there will be a power stroke for each reciprocating-movement of the engine in either direction or two power strokes for either revolution.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 2 1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank case; piston cylinders fixed to said case each having fuel and exhaust chambers in anintegral part there of with ports communicating with the cylinder; valves for said ports to control the admission of fuel to and the exhaust from said cylinders; valve stems; valve-stem carrying members screw threaded into the fuel and exhaust chambers, said members having annular recessed portions; springs to normally maintain the valves closed; and covers in the form of tubular sleeves to inclose the springs and valve stems, one end of said members slidably supported in the recessed portions of the valve-stem carrying members and having a telescoping movement into said recessed portions to expose the springs.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a crank case; piston cylinders fixed to said case each having fuel in-' let and exhaust ports in an integral part thereof; a piston operating in said cylinder ;valves operating in said ports to control the admission of fuel to and the exhaust from said cylinders; valve stems; removable plugs for the valve stems having annular recessed portions; keys passing transversely through said stems near the free ends therewith one end seated in the recessed portions of the removable plugs and the other ends abutting against the said keys to maintain a the valves closed; a crank shaft journaled in the crank case; a cam shaft journaled in the crank case and gear driven from the crank shaft; cams thereon; cam followers slidably mounted in the crank case, one end of the followers projecting into the said case to be engaged by the cams, and the other ends projecting out from the crank case to engage the valve-stems to unseat the valves; and tubular members to inclose the valve stems and springs and the ends of the cam followers projecting out from the crank case, one end of said members slidably supported in the recessed portions of the removable plugs and having a telescoping movement therein to expose the said springs and valve stems.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank case, of a piston cylinder fixed to said case having fuel inlet 2 and exhaust chambers in an integral part thereof, said chambers having fuel inlet and exhaust ports communicating with the cylinder; valves normally seated in said ports and operable to control the admission of fuel to and exhaust from said cylinders; valve stems; bearings for the valve stems screw threaded into said chambers in which the stems of the valvesare slidably mounted; keys passing transversely through the free ends of the valvestems; springs coiled about the valve stems and confined between the valve-stem bearings and said keys, whereby to normally seat the valves in the ports; a

cam shaft journaled in the crank case; cams thereon; bushings screw threaded into the crank case; cam followers slidably mounted in said bushings with one end projecting into the crank case to be engaged by the cams and the other end projecting out from the crank case and arranged to engage the valve stems to open said valves; and tubular sleeve members to inclose the springs and valve stems supported at one end by the valve-stem bearings and at the other end by the cam-follower bushings, said sleeves having a telescoping movement with relation to the valve-stem bearings to expose the springs and valve stems.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with the crank case, a crank shaft journaled therein, piston cylinders fixed to said case each having fuel inlet and exhaust ports in" an integral part thereof, and pistons connected to the crank shaft and operating in the cylinders, of valves for said ports to control the admission of fuel to and exhaust from said cylinders; valve stems; removable members in which the valve stems are slidably mounted, said members having annular recessed portions; keys passing transversely through the valve stems near the free ends thereof; springs coiled about the valve stems and confined between said valve stem carrying members and keys to maintain the valves upon their seats; tubular sleeve members to inclose the valve stems and springs, one end of said members supported in the recessed portions of the valve-stem carrying members and having telescoping movement in said recessed portions whereby to expose the valve stems and springs; a cam shaft j ournaled in the crank case and gear driven from the crank shaft; and cams thereon to unseat the valves.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank case, of opposed piston cylinders fixed in alined pairs to said case, said cylinders each having separate fuel and exhaust chambers in an integral part thereof with'ports communicating with the cylinder; valves for said ports operable to control the admission of fuel to and exhaust from said cylinders, the valves for one cylinder arranged out of line with the valves of its opposed cylinder; valve stems; valve stem carrying plugs screw threaded into said chambers, said plugs having elongated tubular portions to provide long bearing supports for the valve stems and annular recessed portions; keys passing transversely through the free ends of the valve stems; springs coiled about the elongated portions of the plugs, with one end seated in the recessed portions of the plugs, and the other end abutting against the valve-stem keys to maintain the valves upon their seats; a cam shaft journaled in the crank case; cams thereon; tappets slidably mounted in the crank case between the cams and valvestems and arranged to engage with the 5 valve-stems to unseat the valves; rollers carried by said tappets with which the cams engage; and tubular covers to inclose the valve stems and springs and the ends of the tappets. projecting out from the crank case, said covers slidably supported at one end in the recessed portions of the valve-carrying plugs and having a telescoping movement into said recessed portions .to expose the springs and valve stems.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a crank case and piston cylinders fixed to said case each having fuel inlet and exhaust ports in an integral part thereof, of valves for said ports to control 120 the admission of fuel to and exhaust from said cylinders; valve stems; plugs screw threaded into said integral part of the cylinders in which the valve stems are slidably mounted, said plugs having elongated stem portions to provide long bearings for the valve stems, and also being provided with recessed portions; washers on the ends of the valve stems projecting through the plugs; keys passing transversely through the free ends of the valve stems to maintain the washers onthe valve stems; springs coiled about the valve stems. one end seated in the recesses in the plugs and the other end abuttingagainst the washers and keys on the valve stems. said springs tensioned to normally maintain the valves upon their seats: bushings screw threaded into the crank case: tappets slidably mounted in said bushings. one end of said tappets arranged to engage the valve stems and the other end projecting into the crank case: sleeves inclosing the valve stems f and springs. said sleeves adapted to have i a telescoping movement into the recessed portions of the valve-stem carrying plugs;

to expose the valve stems and springs. and the other end having a screw threaded en- Q gagement with the tappet bushings when covering the valve stems and springs: a cam i shaft journaled in the crank case: cams thereon: and rollers carried by the tappets t with which the cams engage to operate the valves.

T. In an internal combustion engine. the i combination with the crank case and cylinders fixed to said case each having fuel l and exhaust chambers in an integral part thereof with valve ports between said chambers and cylinder. of valves operating in said ports: valve stems: plugs screw threaded into said chambers in which the valve stems are slidably mounted: keys passing transversely through the free ends of the; valve stems: springs coiled about the valve stems confined between said keys and thel valve-stem carrying plugs and tensioned to normally maintain the valves upon their seats in the ports: bushings in the crank case: tappets slidably mounted in said bushings and arranged to abut against the ends of the valve stems: a cam shaft journaled in the crank case: cams thereon to engage with the tappets to operate the valves; and tubular covers for the valve stems and springs,

; one end having a screw threaded engagement with the tappet bushings and the other end supported by the valve-stem carrying plugs when covering said springs and stems. and having a telescoping movement with relation to the valve-stem carrying plugs to expose the valve springs and stems.

S. Inan internal combustion engine.'the combination with a crank case and piston cylinders fixed thereto each having fuel inlet and exhaust chambers in an integral part thereof with ports communicating with the cylinder. of valves for said ports to control the admission of fuel to and the exhaustfrom said cylinders: valve stems: removable plugs in said chambers in which the valve stems are slidably mounted. said plugs provided with annular recessed portions; springs coiled about the valve stems to maintain the valves upon their seats: sleeves to inclose the valve stems and springs one end of the sleeves slidably supported in the recessed portions of the plugs and adapted to have sliding movement in recessed portions to expose thb valve stems and springs; and a valve operating cam shaft.

'ILLARD IRVIXG TYVOMBLY.

'itnesses JOHN O. SEIFERT, E. PODSENICK. 

